SCR freight registers 16 pc load increase

Vijayawada, Jan 26 (UNI) The South Central Railway (SCR) has achieved a new high in its freight traffic record by registering a loading of 50.82 million tonnes (MTS) till December this fiscal, an increase of 16 per cent, as against 43.78 MTS in the corresponding period last year.

In a Republic Day message here today, SCR General Manager H K Padhee, said the SCR Zone's apportioned earnings too rose to Rs 4834.52 crore during the period, compared to Rs 4213.23 crore for the same period in the last fiscal, an increase of Rs 621.29 crore.

Mr Padhee said with the highest-ever budgetary outlay of Rs 1614.81 crore allocated to SCR during the current financial year, the stress was on completion of various projects at a rapid pace, giving a boost to the Zone's infrastructure.

In the current financial year, the expenditure incurred until December 2007, under different plan heads was to the extent of Rs 1339.69 crore, an utilisation of 82.96 per cent of the budgetary outlay, which speaks of the zone's commitment to ensure that works were completed as per the target.

The railway official said the emphasis on improving rail services and optimising passenger facilities had been the hallmark of SCR.

He said Secunderabad had been included in the list to be developed as a world-class station. On the freight traffic front, the introduction of high speed 'Himalaya goods special' was the highlight among the achievements of SCR, he added.

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